An Investigation of the Effects Socio-Economic Status and Population Density Have on Spelling and Vocabulary of Normal and Educable Mentally Retarded Children.

Bahn, William McAbee

To investigate the effects that socioeconomic status and population density might have on the vocabulary and spelling abilities of normal and mentally retarded children, data on eight dependent variables were analyzed: (1) spelling section of the Wide Range Achievement Test; (2) number of words; (3) word index of oral vocabulary; (4) proportionate of correct spelling; (5) number of correct spelling; (6) proportion of each type of spelling error: refusal or incomplete; (7) proportion of each type of spelling error: phonetic; and (8) proportion of each type of spelling error: non-phonetic or unrecognizable. Forty normal children (mean IQ 96) and 40 mentally retarded children (mean IQ 71) were first given the spelling test of the Wide Range Achievement Test. A sampling of the child's oral vocabulary was also obtained. Each child was then asked in a second session to spell words obtained from his oral vocabulary. It was found that middle class groups--either the normal or mentally retarded--tended to spell better than did lower class children. Middle class children utilized more words when responding to a given set of stimuli than did lower class children, but types of words were similar for both groups. It was also found that rural children tended to spell better than urban children. (Author/MF)